Man claims police let him go after he mentioned VDM's name

A Facebook user, Livinus Nwosu, says police in Benin, the capital of Edo State, released him after he mentioned social media personality Martins Vincent Otse's name. He was initially held because of his vehicle’s tinted permit.

Mr Otse is popularly known as VeryDarkMan or VDM.

Mr Nwosu shared this in a video on Facebook on Thursday, saying the incident happened that same morning.

PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm his story. The police spokesperson in Edo State, Eno Ikoedem, did not answer calls or respond to a text message or WhatsApp inquiry when we checked for updates.

In the video, Mr Nwosu showed what he said was his driver’s licence and vehicle documents while standing next to his silver-grey-tinted car.

“These are my papers. I just renewed them. They should have expired in 2027. This is my driver’s licence,” he said.

He explained that a police special squad stopped and searched his vehicle but found nothing illegal. Mr Nwosu said the officers then asked for his tinted permit, which he said he showed them on his phone.

“They asked for my tinted permit. I showed them because it is on my phone. These people (police operatives) said to impound any vehicle with or without a tinted permit.”

He also mentioned that he paid over ₦70,000 to get the permit. “I went through a lot before I got the permit,” he added.

Mr Nwosu said he was taken to a police station even after showing the permit. He claimed the situation changed when he told the officers he was in Benin on an errand for VeryDarkMan.

“The operatives took me to their station. As soon as I got there, I told them I was on an errand for VDM in Benin.”

He said the officers then let him go without further action. “As I told them (VDM sent me to Benin), they said I could go. In the end, everybody knows what they are doing.”

He questioned why he was released if the alleged offence was serious enough to impound his vehicle. “I don’t see why they let me go after I mentioned VDM’s name. I did not commit any offence; instead, the operatives apologised to me.”

Mr Nwosu addressed the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, saying that enforcing car tinted permits in Nigeria feels like extortion. “This message is for the Inspector-General of Police. Have you told operatives to impound vehicles with tinted permits? What they do there is pure fraud?”

Mr Nwosu’s claim comes amid ongoing debate about the Nigeria Police Force’s tinted permit policy.